Office for Science and Society - Separating Sense from Nonsense

A Peashooter Will Not Bring Down a Charging Rhino

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 17:01:49 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

“A gesture as effective as sending out a boy with a peashooter to bring down a rhinoceros.”

Shedding a light on shedding: The Science of Telogen Effluvium

Ana Sophia Rashid-Cocker BSc — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

It started with a few extra hairs: in my brush, on my bathroom floor, strewn across my pillow. Odd, but nothing too alarming, women shed hair all the time. But then there were more. They were dispersed across my computer at work and would fall into my hands at the slightest tug. I began to spiral: could others see them too? I swore I could feel each strand of hair popping off my scalp and drifting down my back.

Ultrasound During Pregnancy: Sound Advice or Sound the Alarm?

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Let’s be honest—pregnancy is basically a nine-month exercise in overthinking. Is that sushi safe? Should I be sleeping on my left side? And what, exactly, is in prenatal vitamins anyway? Somewhere on that ever-expanding list sits the ultrasound: a routine, widely used tool that some corners of the internet have started side-eyeing with suspicion.

Ozempic-Induced Blindness? A Measured Response

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In certain corners of the Internet, the discourse over Ozempic is terrifying. “But the FDA says that [sic] inject Gila Monster venom weekly into yourself is healthy,” one commentator sarcastically declares. “Are they lying?”

Say Cheese!

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:27:26 +0000

It was the 1960’s and cheese producers were cheesed off. People were just not eating enough veal. Slaughterhouses were running short of calf stomachs and the cheese industry was feeling the pinch. There was not enough rennet to meet the demands of turophiles (that's "cheese lovers" from the Greek “turo” for cheese) around the world.

Science Shows Carnivore Diet Is Best Left to Lions

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 16:15:43 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Jenny McCarthy, a former Playboy Playmate of the Year, is playing with science again. This time it is all about the “carnivore diet.”

Next Time it Rains, You May Want to Pack More Than Just Your Umbrella

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Have you ever felt sluggish or achy on a rainy day? You’re not alone. While you could see a rainy day as an excuse to cozy up with freshly brewed tea and a movie, your rain-induced back pain may be out of your control.

What Wild Animals Can Teach Us About Cancer

Lysanne Desharnais PhD — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In a lab in Rochester, New York, a group of scientists were trying to grow cells taken from a naked mole rat. Instead, they ended up with a petri dish full of goo. The cells had secreted a thick, viscous substance, unlike anything typically seen in standard lab cultures. The scientists discovered that the goo contained hyaluronan, a molecule that helps keep the mole rat’s skin elastic as it navigates its cramped underground tunnels. But it may also do something far more remarkable: prevent tumours from forming.

Shedding Light on UV Blood Irradiation

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Would you allow someone to draw your blood out, expose it to ultraviolet light, and pump it back into your body, even if I told you it wouldn’t turn you into the Incredible Hulk?

The Prince of Quackery

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:09:17 +0000

The luxurious bulletproof limo was 22 feet long, weighed four tons, had soft, green leather upholstery and interior fittings of silver and ivory. Sounds like “The Beast” used to transport the U.S. President. But back in 1933, President Roosevelt just rode around in a rather ordinary Lincoln. This luxury limo belonged to Ewing Virgil Neal who was described by the American Medical association as “a prince of quackery.” Judging by the wealth Neal accumulated, “king of quackery” would be a more apt description.